For the last three years I’ve been anchored in the South Pacific, writing a book about my voyage. From daunting weather to relationships sweet and sour, wild waves and boat repairs, this very personal memoir shares my many challenges, my search for harmony with nature, and how I come to understand the unity of all things. The team at Patagonia Books, along with illustrator Daniella Manini, bring my story to life with amazing art and four photo galleries! It’s a work of enormous love, with the intention to inspire others to follow their hearts, protect our planet, and live out their dreams. Book is available now in hard copy at most your favorite book stores, as an e-book here or you click on the link to the right to order online with delivery to your address! With love and gratitude, Capt Liz Clark
After 3 years of writing, I’m excited to share the personal STORY of my voyage with the world. Book available now!

A Better World: What We CAN Do

1. Spread Good Vibes! Simply be nice to each other!

Life can be testing, but being negative only makes things harder for you and those around you. Try not to loose your cool. Keep kindness and good vibes flowing through you and to those you encounter throughout the day. Positivity is contagious, healing, and unifying. A peaceful world starts in our own hearts, so our job as individuals is to check ourselves when negative emotions arise and take another direction before they become overwhelming and cause harm to ourselves and others. In a better world, we must treat each other and ourselves with kindness, compassion, and integrity!

Let your purchases speak to your eco-values. We can make a positive impact everyday by supporting brands and people who love the environment as much as we do. By doing so, we tip the demand toward sustainable and eco-friendly goods. Buying local offsets carbon. Supporting organic farmers helps reduce degradation and pollution of our soils, waterways, and oceans not to mention our bodies. Boycotting brands containing GMO ingredients tells Monsanto we disapprove of Big Ag, Round-up ready varieties, and their monopolizing of our seed banks! Opting for sustainably-sourced wood and paper products can help preserve biodiversity and the Earth’s remaining forests. Refusing to buy chemical-based shampoos & body wash, laundry & dish soaps, toothpaste & cleaning products means fewer toxic chemicals end up in our bodies and waterways. Do a little research, beware of fakes, read ingredients and labels, and look for minimal and recycleable packaging! Check out Patagonia, Mizu, Zeal Optics, Eco Flex Moss Research Surfboards, Avasol Suncare, Enjoy Handplanes, to learn more about these highly mindful, authentic brands who love our Earth!!

3. Reduce, reuse, recycle & refuse SINGLE USE PLASTICS.

Our oceans are becoming plastic soup. I find plastic debris lining the beaches of tropical islands thousands away from any trash source. This plastic never biodegrades, only breaks down into tiny toxic pieces that pollute our ocean ecosystems and enter the food chain–killing wildlife ranging from plankton to seabirds to whales–and rendering seafood toxic. It’s time we demand and implement non-toxic plastic replacements and stop using something that will last forever–plastic bags, bottles, straws, etc—only one time!? It makes no sense!? 50 billion plastic beverage bottles are produced each year. At least 40 billion of them end up in our oceans and landfills EVERY YEAR, not to mention a stream of other plastic bags and trash. Let’s stop our single-use plastic addiction and lead the way toward a world of biodegradable plastic alternatives. Get a reusable water bottle, install a water filter in your home, bring your own shopping bags, dine-in, refuse plastic straws, avoid brands using excess plastic packaging, and speak up with friends and merchants about this important issue! Check out Mizu’s stainless steel waterbottles and campaign to #protectwhereweplay!!

4. Eat less or no meat! Animal agriculture is killing our environment.

Why do they keep telling us to ‘turn off the lights’ and ‘carpool’ to help save the planet when eating less meat & dairy for a week could decrease your personal eco-impact more than carpooling for a whole year? Animal agriculture is the leading cause of the greenhouse gases responsible for climate change, soil degradation, water pollution due to animal waste runoff, ocean acidification, rainforest clearing, and extinction due to habitat loss and destruction. The energy and water that go into meat production are astonishing. It takes an average of 660 gallons of water to produce a single hamburger!? Despite that the meat and dairy industries have us thinking animal protein is necessary for our health, studies prove otherwise. Meat and dairy are proven to cause cancer, hormone imbalance, high blood pressure, obesity, and a host of other unpleasant effects. Plus, we’ve sadly overlooked the horrifying treatment of these sentient animals in America’s factory farms. Fish and shrimp farms are generally extremely environmentally taxing and their end-products lack nutrition. After switching to a plant-based diet in 2012, I can assure you that I feel SO good that the thought never enters my mind to go back!! If you’re not ready to give up meat entirely, try to choose wild, sustainably-caught, or humanely-raised meat, poultry, and seafood. Check out the documentaries “Cowpiracy“, and “Earthlings“, and read up on The China Study!!

5. Support alternative & free energy solutions

Free, clean energy is absolutely possible and available to us, and has been so for a long time. It’s just not in the interest of the very powerful people who prefer we stay dependent on buying their fossil fuels. They are destroying the planet just to get richer…it’s rather short-sighted and selfish, no? So where we can, let’s go off-grid, use solar and wind-power, drive more fuel-efficient cars, demand better public transportation, walk, ride a bike, and support alternative energy systems and free energy solutions! Watch “Thrive”!!

6. Dedicate yourself to personal growth & self-awareness!

A better you makes a better world, and I believe we cannot truly be fulfilled without making a constant effort to grow and evolve into a better version of ourselves. It’s easy to point fingers at everyone else and blame our problems on the other guy, but this helps no one. Going within takes courage, but the rewards are unlimited. Even small positive changes in our negative behavior patterns can improve our lives and relationships drastically, and inspire others around us to do the same. Don’t wait for someone else to change, change yourself. Find where you can be more open, kind, loving, positive, flexible, courteous, patient, forgiving, honest, humble, etc. We all have our issues, our struggles, our hardships. We can either use them as stepping-stones to our greatness, or allow them to make us bitter and victimized. Choosing the latter leads only to further darkness, so we must use our adversities as opportunities to grow, learn, and move closer to the Light!! Check out my Reading List for helpful book recommendations in this department!

7. Get Outside and connect with Mother Earth!

Whether you just stop & take a deep breath and look up at the sky, or smell a flower, go for a nature walk, surf, hike, swim, or the likes–doing something everyday to acknowledge our connection and dependence upon the Earth helps keep the important things in perspective. We often forget that we depend on a healthy Earth for every meal we eat, each drop of water we use, and every breath we take. A life acknowledging this connection to the Source of our existence cultivates gratitude, balance, respect, and a feeling of Oneness with Nature and the Universe. Get off the beaten path and go fall in love with this magnificent planet in your own beautiful way!

8. Plant a garden or create a permaculture yard. Let’s take back our food!

It’s amazing what we consider ‘food’ these days. Growing a veggie garden and planting edible plants in your yard is not only the best way to ensure that your food is chemical and GMO-free and charged with love, but you also reap the benefits of re-connecting with your food and gaining respect for the growing process. You automatically reduce your carbon footprint, contribute to local biodiversity, save yourself some cash, and put the power to feed yourself highly nutritious food back in your own hands!! Veggie Garden Cheat Sheet, How to Build a Permaculture Vegetable Garden, Starting Your Permaculture Garden

9. Buy Less, Waste Less, Upcycle, and Get Creative with what you have.

Nature knows no ‘waste’—matter and energy are always reused and transformed. Our current economy is based on the impossible premise of infinite growth on a finite planet, encouraging us to blindly consume and throw away. We spend our time earning money to buy things that often don’t enhance our well-being or happiness. This one-directional ‘buy & toss’ system is not sustainable! We must reject this model by refusing to buy things we don’t really need, offering services rather than goods as gifts, finding ways to reuse and reinvent things that we would normally throw away, or giving them to someone who will. We must find a way to close the loop on our waste stream, and be as clever as nature at utilizing, recycling, and transforming our resources!

10. Do what you Love!!

We are all here for a unique and beautiful calling. Each of us contributes to the diversity and evolution of humanity when allowed to develop into our fully blossomed Self. Take a risk! Follow your dreams and live up to your potential, so that you may be happier and more inclined to want to give back to the world. Choose joy and passion over security. Abundance always follows people who live in their true calling or joy-space. The alternative is a life of gray, haunted by internal whispers of what ‘could have been’. Money and comfort doesn’t really make us happy, only genuine self-love does. I believe ‘too comfortable’ can become caustic, and the only real failure is having never tried. We can’t wait for the system to change, we must leap with relentless positivity and energy toward living a life we dream of. Once you go for it, you’ll look back and see how your hardships were part of your path to fulfillment, and a deep Trust may be born in the Greatness and Perfection of it All. Compassion flourishes, competition melts away, and we come to see and feel the interconnectedness of all our stories and struggles. Understanding and feeling this Oneness, we realize that we cannot truly rise unless we rise together. Hence, we strive to lift up our brother and sister humans everyday!

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42 Comments

wow! you are a most precious gift to Creation. your suggestions are clear, informed and powerful. if we each were to begin the process of healing ourselves and the planet with these wise offerings we could create a new world where love, joy, peace and compassion determined our reality. i believe it is possible to realize this dream if we work together as individuals and communities to bring it into being. THANK YOU for being You and contributing so mightily to our consciousness rEVOLution!!!

auntie

Been following your journey since the beginning…you have become a great writer and philosopher.

Thank you for all of it.
David Frederick

PS, Buying items not in plastic is hard to do but if everyone refused to by single use plastic it could work. Some things I do is look for an alternatives in glass or cardboard which are much more earth friendly.

Antoine

February 20, 2015

Hello Liz,
Do you have any video abot “what can we do ? ” It is an inspiring message.
Where are you located ? somewhere in the world, I can imagine..
We prepare a “Good vibes for the planet” event in Paris during december 2015 COP 21 conference about the climate.
We are interested to plan different active testimonies in our event (web links, wen conference, vidéos….)
Tell me what is possible. We have full of time. And first, we are looking for sponsors to realize the project, just a slight detail, but we go on our way..
Sincerely

I just discovered your journey/site. I’m so impressed and inspired. THANK YOU! My husband and I moved into our Sprinter van over 5 years ago to travel the Pan-American highway, and 6 months into the journey, we decided to make it a permanent lifestyle. My husband has an online adventure sport retail business, and I’m writer, so we both are able to work on the road. A couple years later we had a baby in Peru and then put her in the van and continued our journey. After 4 years in Latin America, we’re now traveling in an RV (solar powered) in the States and Mexico for a couple years before traveling abroad again. We love living a lighter, nomadic lifestyle that fosters adventure and intimacy. In other words, you’re a girl after our own heart! You’re such a bad ass. Keep it up!

Sven

May 2, 2015

hy Liz, I read on the internet that you are looking for a partner for your journey. I still can not sail, but love nature and traveling, will make the world better, and I need a break from my current life. if you want to know more about me, but let’s review.

I would love to join You in Your journey, and learn from You…I am in awe of the strength of Your personality… I would love to not only meet You, but assist You as a companion on this amazing journey…my email is bjbone25@yahoo.com…please msg me via email or Facebook…

Alex

May 2, 2015

Hi Liz, what you’re doing in my opinion is the right way for us all to go about life. I’d see us getting on like two peas in a pod given you’re lifestyle choice and views. I’d love to come join and even learn from you, if that wasn’t a possible option you’ve certainly inspired me with a new way to travel and live, so thank you. Hopefully I’ll get to meet you and you’re little feline friend in person, if not then best of luck with the trip!

bleachfree

I found your list of ways to live better and I couldn’t agree more… I’ve bee living like this for a few years now and I’m never going back…

I am a self employees photographer who would love for nothing more than to travel with you for some time… I have some sailing experience, I’m not afraid to conquer my fears, I follow my gut, and it has been an awesome amazing experience so far… I’d love to follow the swell for a while…. I like you am small but strong. It would be my dream to come with you and document and experience this first hand. I want to document it all… The local foods, preparation on a boat or on a remote island. The waters, the people you encounter along the way… I could go on and on dreaming of your reality…

Please consider me as your mate! I’d love to go with the flow in that part of the world…

Have a great day! I look forward to chatting with you about this possibility!

Ari

October 29, 2015

Hello Liz,
I only recently found your blog, while searching for great surf blogs. Your words have been an awesome inspiration to me. Your story is incredible, thank you so much for sharing your voice with the rest of the world. It’s easy to think that there’s nowhere left to explore, no adventurers left, and nothing worth being passionate about in this “cyber age”. You have shot straight through those thoughts, proving that there is always more, so long as you follow after what you love. Thank you for inspiring me to know only follow my true passions, but to live in my best way, and to live for more than myself. To reach out for others, for Earth, and for those in need. We can help so simply.

Hey,
Pretty cool stuff and yes, absolutely important stuff.
I’m a primary school teacher with a passion for marine conservation, so I smiled and thought wow :-) when I found your blog. Our students have just completed a really cool project called “Kids Teaching Kids” where by our students teach other kids about sustainability and conservation. We (well actually I chose but don’t tell them lol ) the problem with plastic litter in our oceans. We called the project “Plastic Oceans” and presented 4x 40-minute presentations and activities to 177 other kids. We engaged them in different activities to highlight and create awareness of the plastic litter problem in our oceans.

I’m also a huge believer in positive self-awareness in kids, and we have a pretty vibrant and fun classroom. Yes, we have a national curriculum to deliver but there is no reason why we cannot deliver it in an interesting and engaging way.

I like your messages and your drive, as it’s very rare to read about a person that not only talks the talk (The scourge of social media is lots of people talk but don’t take action) but more so I like that you walk the walk so to speak or in this case… you hoist the sails.
Well done and thank you, thank you for inspiring others and for your energy that is truly powerful. One’s personal inner energy is a vital part of what makes up who we are.

I’m about to sail out and take my message of marine conservation to the oceans as a learning experience for others. I’m only 2 years away from retiring early and going sailing, but as a teacher I’m keen to make my sailing lifestyle an educational learning experience for others(mainly kids as they are the adults of tomorrow), very much as what you are doing so well :-)
If we share a port one day, I’ll be sure to wave and say hi… Oh, I’ll be on a somewhat smaller sailboat but a sailboat nevertheless :-)

Jake

Louis-Marie Rioux

February 6, 2016

Hi HI Captain Liz

I just found out about your incredible journey , wow
I am about to buy and old sailboat , fix it up simply , without polluting , and then do like you , travel and help people all over this planet, any advice ?
the wind be with you , cheers

Deb

mal tolhurst

April 29, 2016

Hi Liz just been reading about your adventures with your furry little friend, I travelled around in Australia for a number of years with a cat her name was “Romy” had her since she and its true what they say , Cats have staff , dogs have owners , I love sailing ,NZ, Sth Africa, Australia, stay safe and happy sailing

Hey Liz! My name is Roland. I am so inspired by your authenticity and tenacity to focus your energies on creating a healthy and vibrant life for yourself and those around you! Thank you for that! My wife and I are currently on a search along the West Coast with a purpose of finding and capturing stories of people who have chosen their passion and love for water over the comforts of financial stability and a “traditional” lifestyle. Our purpose is to inspire youth to get out and explore, take risks, and embrace the richness of life. I love your passion and lifestyle and thought what a great place to start our search! If you have any friends or people you know on the West Coast – we would love to meet them and share their stories! I hope to hear back from you!

Wow. Plant a garden and Reduce, reuse, recycle & refuse is the most important step we can do to shape your Owld a better place. Thank you, for providing these valuable tips that can bring peace and greenery.